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Yennifer Correia said a supervisor at the United ticket counter at Bush Airport struck a sour note.

Correia said, “After I did that, they told me that I had to pay $50 to check in the instrument. So, I told them, that's not what I'm looking for."

She wanted to carry her violin onto the plane for her flight to St. Louis for work. Correia said it is hundreds of years old and costs tens of thousands of dollars.

But the supervisor told her no.

"She was rude from the beginning saying these are the rules. All you can take with you are some personal item on the plane. And the instrument is too big and it's not going to fit."

When she asked for the supervisor’s full name, the person allegedly tried to remove the luggage tag from Correia’s luggage in attempt to find her name as well.

"She proceeded to throw herself on top of my suitcase. So, she could take the rest of the sticker from my suitcase. At this point, we're both struggling ... pulling the suitcase and I'm trying to get her not to take the sticker from me."

Federal law requires airlines to allow musicians to take instruments on board as carry-on luggage.

United issued a statement that said, “We're disappointed anytime a customer has an experience that does not live up to his or her expectation."

The company said it promised to reach out to Correia, who said the situation finally ended with the supervisor threatening to call security, then she walked away but not before screaming.

“I start screaming, ‘help, help, help can somebody record what's happening because this lady's trying to take my personal suitcase from me.’"

Correia was supposed to have flown out on Sunday to join the Missouri Symphony Orchestra to play for the summer season. She said she will now fly to St. Louis on Tuesday with another air carrier.